Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1 Natural philosophy and anatomy
- 2 Harvey's sources in Renaissance anatomy
- 3 Harvey's research programme
- 4 The anatomy lectures and the circulation
- 5 The structure of De motu cordis
- 6 Early reactions in England
- 7 Overseas
- 8 Two natural philosophies
- 9 Circulation through Europe
- 10 Back to Cambridge
- 11 Harvey and experimental philosophy
- Index
10 - Back to Cambridge
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 March 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1 Natural philosophy and anatomy
- 2 Harvey's sources in Renaissance anatomy
- 3 Harvey's research programme
- 4 The anatomy lectures and the circulation
- 5 The structure of De motu cordis
- 6 Early reactions in England
- 7 Overseas
- 8 Two natural philosophies
- 9 Circulation through Europe
- 10 Back to Cambridge
- 11 Harvey and experimental philosophy
- Index
Summary
Introduction
The Cambridge that had taught Harvey the philosophy of Aristotle was an important centre from which his views were subsequently disseminated. The story of the Oxford ‘Harveians’ has been told, and in making a tentative beginning to a similar story in Cambridge, we are concerned with Francis Glisson, who was a generation younger than Harvey (he died in 1677).
Like Harvey, Glisson was a product of Caius College (MD in 1634), was a Fellow of the College of Physicians and lectured there on anatomy. From 1636 he was Regius Professor of Physic in Cambridge. He was therefore in a position to play an important role in determining how people reacted to Harvey's doctrine. Knowledge of the forceful systole and circulation was being generated both within the university and in the college, and a consensus in both institutions would have had an important influence on the English perception of Harvey's doctrine.
In Cambridge, Glisson gave lectures and, like other university teachers we have looked at, conducted disputations. He also seems to have given academic orations. Men graduating in medicine under Glisson – and so defending his theses – shared his beliefs about the motion of the heart, arteries and blood. (One of the earliest theses in favour of the circulation under Glisson, that of Wallis, was in 1641.) In the College Glisson spoke in favour of Harvey from 1639, demonstrated the circulation as Goulstonian lecturer, and as one of the country's leading teachers played his part in the growth of a consensus. The same may be said of his membership of the ‘1645 group’ (see below).
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- Information
- William Harvey's Natural Philosophy , pp. 286 - 309Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1994